1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to matte finished coated paper. More particularly, the present invention relates to matte finished coated paper obtained by means of applying a surface coating of a pigment to at least one side of a web to provide the appearance similar to that of uncoated papers. The paper with such a surface coating is resistant to scratch marks. When subjected to printing, the paper is superior in dot reproduction and is capable of developing colors clearly and setting inks for a short time.
2. Prior Art
Coated paper is manufactured with a surface coating of a pigment provided on either or both sides of a web. Typical paper web is made from a number of cellulose fibers entangled. The web has irregular surfaces that sometimes include pores between entangled fibers. Making a print on such surface can reproduce dots insufficiently and the paper has higher capability for ink penetration than those having a surface coating. As a result, a printed image has only less distinguishable tone and/or contrast. Coated paper is a solution against such disadvantages. The coated paper is obtained by application of a surface coating based on a pigment and an adhesive to at least one side of the web. The paper may be passed between calendar rolls, if necessary. The resultant coated paper has improved smoothness. Therefore, it is considerably superior in dot reproduction and is capable of developing colors more clearly and setting inks for a shorter time as compared with uncoated papers. However, the surface coating and/or the calendaring operation used to improve the smoothness and gloss may more or less deteriorate the appearance of the paper.
Taking the above into consideration, there has been increasing demands towards matte finished coated paper that is a kind of coated paper but could have the appearance similar to ordinary uncoated papers. One example of known matte finished coated paper is described in Japanese Patent Laid-open Hei. 3-113094 in which original paper is embossed and the emboss in the original paper is reproduced in the coat layer on the surface of the original paper. Another example is the matte finished coated paper as described in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 7-166492 that is manufactured without any calendaring process. Instead, it is manufactured by means of providing a surface coating containing an inorganic pigment and a hollow organic pigment with cushioning property on either or both sides of a web. In this coated paper, the hollow organic pigment having the cushioning property accounts for 15-85% by weight relative to the total amount of the pigment contained in the surface coating. The surface coating has a surface roughness Rmax of between 20 .mu.m and 100 .mu.m.
The closer appearance to an uncoated paper the matte finished coated paper has, the worse the printability is. To improve the printability of the coated surface tends to deteriorate the appearance. Therefore, it is considerably difficult to provide compatibility between the appearance and the printability. Furthermore, the coated surface of the matte finished coated paper would have a higher gloss when contacted with and scratched by something. Unfavorably, this may generate so-called scratch marks.